Impulse clock



13.11.23 1934, G, R ER 1,944,602

IMPULSE CLOCK Original Filed Aug "28, 1930 I72 2/672 $07, 6390?" e Fflarieif A ZZZ/4s.

Patented is. 23, 1934. 1,944,602

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE DIPULSE CLOCK George F. Barter, Springfield, Mass., assignorto The Standard Electric Time Company, Springfield, Mass, a corporation of Connecticut Original application August 28, 1930, Serial No. 478,470. Divided and this application October 21, 1930. Serial No. 490,200

4 Claims. (Cl. 58-24) In electric clock systems oi the type in which The pawl 3 is carried on an arm e pivoted at 7, impulses are transmitted at regular intervals arm 6 being provided with a. stop 8 engageable (such as once per minute) to a plurality of seowith the teeth of wheel 2 to prevent overthrow ondary clocks which have eleotromagnets or by pawl 3. The pawl 3 is retracted by a magnet 55 other means for advancing the clock-trains one D operative upon armature 10 fast to arm 6 and 60 step for each impulse, it is generally known that after the magnet is deenergized the pawl is again the secondary clocks sometimes get out of step advanced by spring 11. with the master clock and various schemes have Plvotally mounted on the shaft is a plate 12 been devised to correct the secondary clock at having an upstanding arm 13 with a rearwardly regular intervals (say once per hour). One extending stop it projecting forwardly in juxta- 65 scheme for efieoting this result consists in pro= position to a pin 15 extending rearwardly from. viding a stop for physically obstructing each the arm 6. A spring 16 is mounted at the base of clock-train at regular intervals (say once per the arm 13 to extend forwardly into the path of hour) if the clock is fast, with means for autoa pin 17 extending rearwardly from the ratchet 15 matically removing the stop on the hour so that wheel 2. The plate 12 normally tends to rotate m the clock-train may resume its advance after in a clockwise direction (Fig. l) owing to the. it has been retarded the required amount. in fact that its center of gravity is to the right of order to correct slow secondaries it has been the axis 5 and this tendency is limi ed by means proposed to transmit a series of fast impulses of a pin is projecfing rearwardly from the plate 20 just before the end of the hour rapidly to ad- 12in. engagement with the frame 19 of the clock. Vance the secondaries until the stops obstruct The plate 12 is also provid wi h a P D further advance, further movement of the cloclz jecting forwardly above armature arm 21 trains being permitted by automatic removal or pivoted. at 22 and actuated by the magnet S. the stops at the end of the hour. in the operation or" the clock the pin lien- 25 The present application is a division of ap= gages a spring l6 on the plate 12 at one step 39 plication Serial No. 478,470, filed August 28, 1930. during each r volution of the ratchet wheel (for The object of the present invention is to inrexample the 59 minute step) thereby to swing prove the construction and operation of second-= the plate in a counterclockwise direction to a ary clocks of. the impulse type and to provide a position in which the stop overhangs a pin simplified circuit for operating the secondary 15 in i m t j X D S thereto a 35 clocks. the magnet D can not oscillate the arm 6. As

For the purpose of illustrating the genus of shown in i the stop may have a depend-= this invention a typical embodiment is shown in ing portion 23 to limit the aforesaid counterthe accompanying drawing in which: clockwise movement, thereby more positively to 35 Fig. l. is a rear view of the clock mechanism, lock the 6 in fixed position. With the parts parts being broken away;- locked in this position the cloclr is unresponsive Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing the parts in to further impulses through magnet D until the normal running condition; plate 12 is moved baclr to normal position. In Fig, 3 is a similar view showing the parts in the illustrated embodiment this is accomplished 4o locked position; by means oi magnet S which, upon receipt of an Fig. i is a section on line of 3; impulse from the master clock, rotates the arm 21 Fig. 5 is a face view oi. a control dish in the in a counterclockwise direction, the arm 21 enmaster clock; and gaging the pin so on plate 12 to move it been to Fig. 6 is a diagram oi the master clock and the normal. positionshown'in Figs. 1 and 2. In is two secondaries illustrating the novel circuit ar= this return. movement o t p t the p in rangement iii snaps over the pin i? from the position shown A secondary clock mechanism is shown for the in Fig. 3 to a position at the right-hand side of purpose of illustration comprising two ratchet t e b 7; d e Stop 1% moves from the posiwheels '1 and 2 with associated pawls '3 and 4. tion shown in Fig. 3 t ha h wn in Figs. 1 and so The ratchet Wheels 1 and 2, which are fastened 2, whereup the arm 16 s free o sp nd to fur together and to the shaft 5, have their teeth ther impulses through magnet D. facing in opposite directions so that the ratchet If the, clock be running on time the magnet S 3 turns the wheels in a clockwise direction while unlocks the ratchet 3 in less than one minute the pawl 4 holds the Wheels against retrograde after the parts move to locked position so that 55 movement while the pawl 3 is being retracted. the ratchet respon to the Succeeding m n 110.

impulse through magnet D. For example if the parts move to locked position on the 59-minute impulse through magnet D the magnet S unlocks the ratchet prior to the 60-minute impulse. If the cloclr is fast the pin 17 moves the parts to locked position before the end of the hour (according to the master clock) and the clock will until the end of the hour. During this period the pawl 3 and associated parts can not chatter back and forth because held by the stop 14. If the clock is slow it is brought to the stop position by a series of fast impulses transmitted to the magnet D by the master clock just before the end of the hour. While various systems may be employed to, control the secondary clock typical examples are shown in Fig. 6 in which the magnets D and S are shown diagrammatically.

The arrangement shown in Fig.6 comprises a controller 24 making one revolution per hour and having one cam projection 25 and three recesses 26, 2'7 and 28. A spring switch 29 is arranged to engage contact 30 when the lug 31 is engaged by the projection 25 and to engage the contact 32 when the lug 31 moves into either of the recesses 26, 27 or 28. As shown in Fig. 5 the controller 24 is so connected to the master clock that the projection 25 engages the lug Bl between the 59 and 60-minute positions and the lug 31 is in the recesses 26, ill and 28'at the 60, 20 and 40-minute positions. The master clock controls two relays 33 and 34 which actuate the switches 35 and 36 respectively. The relay 34 controlled by three contact matters 37, 38 and 39. 3'1 is preferably timed to close circuit once per minute and 38 is timed to close contact more fre-- quently, say once per second. 39 is timed to close circuit just before the 59th, 19th and 39th minute impulses transmitted by 37. 40 represents a transformer for feeding a supply of alternating current to the rectifier 41, the output side of which is connected by conductors 42 and 43 to the contacts of double pole switch 35 so that current of either polarity may be transmitted to the conductors 44 and 45 leading to the secondary clocks. The two magnets S and D of each secondary clock are connected in parallel across the lines 44-45. One-way valves 46 and 47 are connected in series with the magnets S and D respectively, the valve 46 transmitting current in one direction, say from conductor 45 to conductor 44, and the other valve 4'1 transmitting current in the other direction, as indicated by the arrows.

The operation of the system shown in Fig. 6 is as follows: Inasmuch as switch 29 normally stands in neutral position the magnet 33 is normally deenergized so that the switch 35 normally stands in lower position, as shown, so that magnet 34, under the influence of contact maker 37, normally transmits an impulse over lines 44 and 45 in such direction as to energize magnet D once per minute. Between the 59 and 60-minute impulses the projection 25 moves switch 29 into engagement with contact 30 so that fast impulses are transmitted to the line to bring slow secondaries to the 59-minute position. Just before them-minute impulse the lug 31 drops into the recess 26 thereby moving the switch 29 from contact 30 to contact 32 to energize the magnet 33 and move the switch 35 to the upper position. Immediately thereafter and before the t i-rninute impulse the contact maker 39 transmits an impulse through magnet 34 thereby to transmit an extra impulse to lines 44 and 45. Inasmuch as the magnet 33 is energized at the time this impulse is transmitted the polarity is reversed and the impulse therefore actuates magnets instead of magnet D because of the one-way valves 46 and 47. From the foregoing it will be understood that the extra impulse of reversed polarity unlocks the ratchet mechanism of the secondary clocks so that they all respond to succeeding impulses of normal polarity. The extra recesses 27 and 28 are provided so that the secondary clock. receives an unlocking impulse every 20 minutes, whereby if any secondary fails to respond to the unlocking impulse at the beginning oi the hour it will have opportunity to resum normal operation every 20 minutes instead of having to wait a full hour.

From the foregoing it will be evident that important aspect of the present invention comprises two circuits respectively containing impulse responsive means (D and S in the illustration) together with one-way valves oppositely connected therein for selectively passing impulses of opposite polarity'in the respective circuits. In a more limited aspect those two circuits comprise branches of a single circuit, that is, two conductors or one conductor and a ground return.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A clock system comprising a plurality of secondary clocks of the impulse type, control means for sending impulses of different polarity to said clocks, means in the secondary clocks responsive to the different impulses respectively, and valve means for selectively passing the different impulses to said means.

2. A clock system comprising a plurality of secondary clocks of the impulse type, control means for sending impulses of different polarity to said clocks, a single circuit for transmitting said impulses to the secondary clocks, means in the secondary clocks responsive to the different impulses respectively, and valve means for selectively passing the different impulses to said means.

3. A secondary clock of the impulse type comprising a branched circuit, means in one branch for normally driving the clock train, means in theother branch for resetting the clock, and valve means for selectively passing current through the branches respectively.

4. A secondary clock of the impulse type comprising a branched circuit, means in one branch for normally driving the clock train, means in the other branch for correcting the clock, and one-way valves oppositely connected in said branches respectively so that impulses in one direction operate the driving means and impulses in the opposite direction operate the correcting means.

GEORGE F. HARTER.

llS 

